"Babel"

I really could not appreciate this movie when I was watching it. As a friend quite sharply noted, the story fundamentally revolves around the children of the different characters, whose lives intertwine in some way though they are originally from different countries (and so different cultures) - Japan, Egypt, America and Mexico. At the point of watching it, the storyline did not appear to have a meaningful purpose and characters did not really have a chance to develop and I was left feeling somewhat empty and disturbed by the story and imagery. The acting itself though was convincing particularly in the way the emotions of the characters was displayed and I can now see how the movie presents situations and human issues that are very real in the world.

I mentioned to someone the morning after that I would not recommend viewing it but perhaps, now thinking back, the movie was created for us to recognise that often our seemingly small actions carried out thoughtlessly and our good intentions have vastly critical consequences, even to the point of life and death - A boy lost his brother; a mother her right to live freely in a country she had grown to love, having been there for more than a decade, after being ripped from the children she had raised as her very own. However, in so doing, it serves to make us aware that one person can make an impact on other nations and with this we need to be so careful as to how we choose to appropriate this opportunity.

There are situations out there we may never have control over yet there are many things that we can control that may cause those situations to never happen or to take place differently. Many have meaningless lives and crave for security, love and intimacy as the girl in the movie who was hearing and speech impaired...in their painful desperation they degrade and defile themselves and are left wanting and depraved. If we know that there is so much more to life because we have found the One who has given us life and life to the full, what will we do with this knowledge? Will we let them know that what they have experienced (be it good or bad) or the lives they have made for themselves is not as good as it gets?

an overload and love

Haha, am trying to do all my updates and things at once because I tend to get so occupied otherwise and haven't been regularly posting...will just say one last thing for the night...

Something God reminded me of on Sunday night as I started battling with Him again over certain things I have been keeping on my mind and began tearing during the worship song "Take me deeper" - this was the verse God spoke to me when I first came here 8 years ago, through a friend who wrote it on a pass-it-on card as she thought it was appropriate and now 8 years later God is still telling me that "He has loved me with an everlasting love and drawn me with loving kindness" (Jeremiah 31:3) and it's amazing that this verse isn't just for me but for everyone...

Will really need to learn to cling to my Daddy in Heaven and stand upon His truth...

hmm, pretty

Here, have an umbrella...

savour this

Yum, found this on Jupiter Images - they've got heaps of great photos and of course occassional weird uncensored things too and some ugly ones but anyway couldn't resist a shot of green tea ice-cream...anyone care to meet me at that Japanese sushi place at Pinelands? And no, I won't meet you if I don't know you or if you are potentially or painfully psychotic...but thank you for the offer.

whiplash gone in a flash!

So I got bad whiplash from the car accident and the pain went from my neck to my shoulder blade and arm right down to my finger tips and got progressively worse, necessitating medication and physiotherapy...it affected my ability to sit at my computer and work and disturbed my sleeping patterns due to the discomfort aggravated by having to be taped across my back in order for a certain posture to be maintained each time I felt the pull. This went on for a few weeks (two appointments each week) leading up to the Healing Conference my church was holding - what perfect timing!

It must have been wonderfully planned by God that He could show me I could always trust Him for everything and to encourage all present at the conference through His healing power upon my life...yup that's right! We prayed and fasted leading up to the conference and one of the things I asked God for was total healing over my whiplash that began to improve as I 'committed' this burden to Him and on the first night (Friday) of the conference they amazingly specifically asked all those with back pains and the like to go forward to be prayed for if we wanted so I jumped at the opportunity and well by Sunday, I was totally back to normal! WAY COOL!

the bamboo basics

Never regret a day in your life...written by a friend of a friend

One day I decided to quit... I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. ..I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"His answer surprised me... "Look around",He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?""Yes", I replied." When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds,I took very good care of them.I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

He said."In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. "I would not quit."He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. ..But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."He said to me.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots""I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you." "Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet, they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high!"

"How high should I rise?" I asked."How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned. "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

God will never give up on you. Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experiences; Both are essential to life.